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The three suspects as seen in this picture obtained with netizens’ help. — Picture by Malay MailKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Three women, believed to be Chinese nationals, are suspected to be scamming the elderly of their life savings by ‘hypnotising’ them, police said.

Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation Unit Head ACP Mohd Luthfi Ismail Abdullah yesterday warned the public to be wary of them and also urged those who could be their victims, to come forward.

The trio scammed a 73-year-old retiree of close to RM100,000 worth of cash and jewelleries on Nov 7, near a Clinic in Sri Petaling.

“The first suspect approached the victim to ask about a certain type of aloe vera with red flowers, and while they talked, another suspect tapped her on the shoulder, leaving her dazed and confused.”

He said the victim was then brought to see a third suspect who said her son was going to die in three days and only a certain ‘sifu’ could save him.

“They told her to give them all her cash and jewellery to persuade the ‘sifu’. Being a concerned mother, and under the influence of hypnosis, she did all to ‘save’ her son.”

Mohd Luthfi said they had an accomplice, posing as a taxi driver, who drove the victim to a bank in Petaling Jaya.

“We retrieved the relevant closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage but they are of no help. The plate number was fake.

“Although this is the first such report this year, we believe there are more victims who did not come forward — possibly out of embarrassment. We strongly urge them to come forward to help our investigation.”

Mohd Luthfi also called on members of the public to spread a picture, believed to be of the three suspects.

“The victim’s daughter sourced a picture of one of the scammers after sharing the news with her friends and family on social media.

“I urge everyone to spread this picture so we can catch the culprits.”